Overall Trends
Total, fatal, and serious accidents in the selected range.
Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.
Fast key and full-text search with live filters, watches, and precise metadata.
Use quotes for exact phrase matches (for example "fuel selector valve").
Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.
Major cases, deep-report coverage, and investigation media across decades of NTSB history.
Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.
NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.
The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.
The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.
Prescott, AZ
This was the certificated flight instructor's (CFI) first instructional flight with this new primary student. They did a preflight inspection of the helicopter together, and departed for the practice area. Once the student had a general understanding of the controls, they did an approach to a point on the ground that terminated in a hover. The CFI was letting the student manipulate the controls more and more during the hover. The CFI positioned the helicopter for a slight right quartering headwind to compensate for translating tendencies. During hover, the helicopter exhibited a pendulum oscillation that is common for new students learning to hover. During one of the right lateral oscillations, the helicopter unexpectedly lost altitude. The right skid contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. Within seconds, it caught on fire. Both pilots exited immediately. The CFI stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
The instructor's inadequate supervision and delayed remedial action that resulted in ground contact and a rollover.
On May 1, 2008, about 1830 mountain standard time (MDT), a Robinson R22 Beta II, N331MD, collided with terrain near Prescott, Arizona. Guidance Helicopters, Inc., was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) sustained serious injuries and the student pilot sustained minor injuries; the helicopter sustained substantial damage by a post crash fire. The local instructional flight departed Prescott about 1800. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The CFI submitted a written report. This was his first instructional flight with this student. They did a preflight inspection of the helicopter together, started up, and departed northwest for the practice area. Once the student had a general understanding of the controls, they did an approach to a tire that terminated in a hover. The CFI was letting the student manipulate the controls more and more during the hover. The CFI set up the helicopter for a slight right quartering headwind to compensate for translating tendencies. The CFI stated that during hover, the helicopter exhibited pendulum action that is common for new students learning to hover. During one of the right lateral oscillations, the helicopter unexpectedly lost altitude. The right skid contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled over onto its right side. Within seconds, it caught on fire. Both pilots exited immediately. The CFI stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. The CFI stated that he might have prevented the accident by maintaining a greater skid height while giving instruction, and stopping the lateral and aft movement sooner. He also could have stayed on the controls longer giving the student more time to become familiar with them. He thought that lowering the collective immediately might have prevented the rollover.